


from the ocean to the shore

by bessemerprocess



Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Community: lgbtfest, Multi, Polyamory, long distance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-11
Updated: 2008-04-11
Packaged: 2017-10-05 13:07:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bessemerprocess/pseuds/bessemerprocess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>You would think moving to another galaxy would put a cramp in any relationship, but realistically, it's all about organization and forethought. </i></p>
            </blockquote>





	from the ocean to the shore

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/sarken/profile)[**sarken**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/sarken/) for the beta.
> 
> Written for [livejournal.com profile] lgbtfest: Prompt: 744. Stargate SG-1/Stargate Atlantis: Samantha Carter/Jack O'Neill/Daniel Jackson. Hey, you try negotiating a stable poly relationship across two galaxies.

Being in a committed relationship with two men would be difficult all on its own, even if they all lived simple, unclassified lives back on Earth. Throw in the United States military and three planets in two separate galaxies and watch the difficulties multiply. Sometimes, when Sam thinks about it at all she thinks perhaps it is not that they have more problems than they would have living on Earth, just different problems.

Sam had wanted to be an astronaut ever since she understood what astronauts did. Modern day Magellans exploring humanity's future. There had never been a thought of turning down the Atlantis command, just how to deal with the fall out. Pegasus was another step further into the unknown, the frontier of human knowledge. Yes, there were life sucking catfish aliens, but really, she'd faced down fake disco-gods bent on universal domination and zealot energy beings who wanted to feed on the belief of her people, so catfish aliens were low on her list of worries.

She'd accepted the command and the promotion, had gone to the party and snuck out early. In the morning there were pancakes and Jack chasing Daniel around with a dish towel and later lazy summer afternoon sex. And then she'd grabbed her bags and moved to the Pegasus Galaxy.

You would think moving to another galaxy would put a cramp in any relationship, but realistically, it's all about organization and forethought. She sends them letters through the data burst, and sometimes one of them manages to be at the SGC at the right time and they can talk. She can't say, "I love you, I miss you, goddamnit I'm horny," not with out the entire SGC knowing about ten minutes later. She figures it would take even less time for it to get around Atlantis, though most everyone probably already suspects at least part of it.

***

Sam's been on Atlantis less than a month. It's supposed to be an easy diplomatic meeting, just a pro forma introduction to the new leader of Atlantis to the people of PX3-636. Instead the team get kidnapped, thrown in a cell and drugged. It wasn't one of the worst interrogations Sam has ever lived through; the drug not only made her tell the truth, but it also induces euphoria and enhances the memory.

She's not really surprised when her return to the cell interrupts Sheppard and Rodney's make out session, but she can't keep herself from breaking into huge, body shaking laughter.

"What," Rodney says in his best petulant tone, "like you're not sleeping with your CO."

Sheppard sputters in the background.

"Ex-CO, and Daniel too," she says even as she tries not to.

"What about poor Teal'c? If you're having team sex, it should be _team_ sex," says Sheppard suddenly, and both she and Rodney lose any control they've regained.

"He says humans smell wrong. Humans are for fighting with, not sleeping with," and oh, dear lord, if Teal'c ever heard what she just said, she'd never live it down. "Janet thought it had something to do with pheromones." This is how Sam knows they must be even more drugged than she thought; thinking of Janet doesn't hurt at all.

***

Sam doesn't wear a ring, but she has one, and she's taken to wearing it with her tags when she's on Atlantis. It's from MX4-313, a simple gold band twisted to form a moebius strip. There are other tokens of their marriages that she keeps: a wedding necklace from Tonga, a bracelet from Petroskia. She's been married more times than that but not all the ceremonies came with tangible reminders.

The ring from MX4-313 was from the first marriage: her and Jack and Daniel, back before any of them were sleeping together. Before the zay'tarc machine, before Daniel's ascension. There'd been fruit wine and flower crowns and a twirling dance. They had been so very happy. It's the wedding she chooses to remember.

Daniel celebrates their marriage from PX2-672, while Jack celebrates from the day Daniel had said, "Well, we're already married, we might as well be having sex."

***

Before PX3-636 she tends to think of Rodney as her annoying little brother, except her actual brother doesn't understand her at all. They haven't spoken since Dad died, not that Sam living on the lost city of Atlantis had helped. Afterwords, she realizes how much Rodney's changed. Later he assures her that she's changed too: back then neither of them had been sleeping with anyone. That's not it though, she thinks perhaps for all that they are both more war weary they are also less dogmatic, less wrapped up in science, and she thinks, perhaps, they are even kinder people now.

She makes an off handed comment to Rodney about this one night when they're watching Dr. Who with all of Sheppard's team. Teyla looks at her strangely, "Rodney is one of the kindest people I have ever met."

***

The first year neither Jack nor Daniel make it to Pegasus. They talk as much is practicable and she sends them things in the data burst: Jack gets mission reports and status updates, Daniel gets long winded letters about Pegasus natives and strange things they learn about the Ancients. Sometimes she writes about the funny things that happen to the expedition, like Ronon trying to teach the kitchen staff how to make a traditional Satedan birthday pastry, or John finding naughty Ancient limericks in the database and writing them randomly on white boards through out the city. There isn't a channel from Pegasus to the Milky Way that can safely convey what she actually wants to say.

They have rules. Even normal couples have rules. Theirs are perhaps more complicated. They definitely involve more aliens and cross galactic travel. They've been built on seven years of gate travel together and another five of saving the galaxy while no longer a team in the strictest sense.

The first rule is still "don't compromise operational security." While they have embrace secrecy as a way of life, this is still the rule they break the most often. Rule number two is that you do your damnedest to stay alive. There are exceptions to pretty much all their rules but Jack had always been insistent about this one. You believe you will live, that you will be rescued, until you die. SG-1 always brings its people home. In contrast, rule number three is that you don't leave towels on the floor where Daniel can trip over them before he puts his glasses on. They never bother to differentiate between team rules and personal rules because there isn't actually much of a difference.

It's not really about the rules at all, though. She trusts them and they trust her. They are a team, even before they are lovers, and being a team means even with millions of light years between them they don't need the words to get their point across. Instead, Daniel returns her letters with missive of his own. How the dig on MX8-273 is going, how his newly recruited fellows are adapting to the fact that there are planets beyond Earth, how he always sits watch, even though he has the seniority not to. Jack sends shorter notes: tactical suggestions and brief comments on the stories Daniel tells him of her time on Atlantis. And really, that's all they need to make this work.


End file.
